Sunday, November 11, 2007

Latino Film Festival

I was a good Mexican this weekend and decided to catch a few films at the 11th International Latino Film Festival. I saw three films this weekend. The first movie I saw was Malos Habitos (Bad Habits) which told the story of a mother suffering from anorexia and obsessed with getting her slightly overweight child to lose weight. Her husband starts banging a chunky Peruvian chick, because he decides hes not into skeletel women. While all of this is happening, there is rain of catastrophic proportions happening in Mexico City, and the nun at the little girl's school decides she will fast until the rain stops. It was very interesting and the cinematography was nice. I would have like there to be more connection between the two parallel stories. But it was a good film.

The second film I saw was Lola: La Pelicula a biography based on flamenco dancer Lola Flores until 1958. I absolutely loved this film. I wanted to see more flamenco, but this film pretty much convinced me that there is no better man for a woman than a gay man. Lola becomes hugely successful as a dancer and takes several lovers. She gets her heart broken repeatedly by these men who don't want anything more from her than sex. Her gay BFF, Carlitos, is there to help her through the bullshit. Loved it. I think the audience did too, because they clapped when the film ended. The actress who played Lola was gorgeous.

The last film I saw also happened to be the last in the festival. Deserto feliz (Happy Desert). This film took place in Brazil and focused on a pre-teen(?) girl living with her mother and her boyfriend. She gets raped by the boyfriend and decides to pursue a career in prostitution. She goes to the big city of Brazil and starts sexxing up the tourists. She meets a German guy--who is hot by the way, and fantasizes about running away to Germany with him. The film was slightly confusing with very long shots without any dialogue. It was okay. I guess I expected more. But, I think it definitely had the desired depressing effect. This girl was not going to get the Pretty Woman ending.

I think I'm going to become a member of the Latino Film Society. Ooh, I get chills just thinking about it.